What are the true public reports of Ramayana from Los Angeles where its premiere was held earlier this week?

– The foreigners have loved the film for its scale, grandeur, execution and acting. About the story’s appeal and emotional connect, we should not even bother to get their viewpoint because those things matter for Indians, not for the foreigners for whom RAMAYANA is just another film, not a film seeped in mythology. 

Are the producers of Ramayana doing the right thing by releasing it just days before Diwali?

– The advance booking for RAMAYANA is reasonably good. There are still five days to go before the epic drama hits the screens, and the momentum is only bound to increase. So, the producers may actually be doing the right thing by releasing the film three days before Diwali. You must not forget the special connection between Diwali and the Ramayana.

What is Shahid Kapoor’s next film?

– He was supposed to play the male lead in Amit Sharma’s SHARAD POORNIMA, but he has backed out of the project.

What has been the response of the public to the trailer of Ramayana?

– Phenomenal! The opinion may have been divided when the teaser was out, but many among those who didn’t get excited with the teaser, are finally gung-ho about the film. Everyone now feels, the computer graphics and visual effects are outstanding! Please don’t be surprised if, after the film’s release next month, the world admits that the VFX in the film are better than in Hollywood films! 

Despite being so talented, why does music composer Amit Trivedi’s name not adorn the titles of films of big banners?

– Amit Trivedi seems to be happy doing what he is doing. Not everyone works to be a part of the big-ticket films. Some music directors treat composing music as pure passion while others look at it as not just passion but also as a commercial enterprise and catering to public tastes. 

With Ayushmann Khurrana having two films — Udta Teer and Yeh Prem Mol Liya — releasing in two months, don’t you think, his career depends a great deal on the success of these two films?

– An established hero’s career can never depend upon one or two films. Every film is important for the stars of that film, that’s it!

Why did Prahaar and Nayyi Navelli not even take good starts today?

– By the looks of it, PRAHAAR seemed like a class-appealing film and hence a good initial was not expected. NAYYI NAVELLI is a woman-centric film, and you should know that women-oriented films don’t open to good houses, generally speaking. 

What kind of a figure do you predict for Ramayana on 5th November? After all, it is opening on a pre-Diwali day.

– Despite being a pre-Diwali day, the initial of RAMAYANA will be historic. The craze for the epic drama is building slowly but solidly. The first day’s collection could surpass Rs. 100 crore. 

Looking to the huge success of Drishyam: The Conclusion, will the producers make part 4?

– The producers have titled the third part as DRISHYAM: THE CONCLUSION for a reason. They don’t want to make another film in the same franchise. Do you want Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgan) to reopen the case now, in the fourth part? Or do you want to say in part 4 that Sam is alive?

When heroine-oriented films find it difficult to survive at the box-office, why do producers invest in these kinds of films? Wouldn’t it be safer to produce films which are desired by the public?

– Your question can be answered in more ways than one. Firstly, what works and what doesn’t can’t be predicted. If it was so easy to understand what works at the ticket windows, everyone would only make hits, right? Secondly, every once in a while, there comes a film which breaks the mould and yet scores at the turnstiles. That is why the urge to make different cinema — and that includes women-oriented films because they are fewer than male-oriented films. Thirdly, if producers were to play safe and make only films which, according to you, are “desired by the public”, there would probably be only 15-20 films produced every year. And even then, predicting the success of those films would still remain a difficult job.              

After the stupendous success of Hanuman Ansh, which was made on a shoestring budget, what is the logic behind making big-budgeted devotional or mythological films? Does the success of films like Hanuman Ansh and before it, Mahavatar Narsimha, suggest that mythological or devotional films should be made in controlled budgets?

– Why only mythologicals or devotional films? Films of any genre stand a better chance to click and pay dividends when made at controlled budgets. But it is not always possible to make films with limited, small or controlled budgets. Some films require humongous budgets because they are conceived that way. 

How are the producers of Ramayana planning to release the film on 6th November when Diwali falls on 8th? Pre-Diwali days are supposed to be bad for the box-office, right?

– It is because it is RAMAYANA. Ramayana and the festival of lights have a deep connection.

Will Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 (Hindi dubbed) take a good opening?

– Yes, it should take a very good initial on 15th October because the music is growing in popularity with each passing day. Anirudh Ravichander has given a hit music score in the film.           

Was it a wise decision to release Prem Keetanu, a film starring newcomers, today, with a big franchise film like Drishyam: The Conclusion?

– The opposition of DRISHYAM: THE CONCLUSION was formidable, but the holiday today (2nd October) for Gandhi Jayanti is a big one, and it translates into bountiful box-office collections. That’s what must’ve prompted the producers of PREM KEETANU to come in direct opposition of the big franchise film.

What kind of an opening do you envisage for Nayyi Navelli?

– It’s a heroine-oriented film and hence will have to depend upon word of mouth to grow. You shouldn’t expect it to open big.

Was the open end of Daayra the only reason for the film failing at the box-office?

– It was a very big reason. Besides, the film was quite technical as it was about a rape-and-murder case investigation, and an investigation into that investigation. Absence of a saleable hero worked to its disadvantage because the film took a dismal opening.          

Why did the producers of The Vvaan spell the word ‘Van’ so weirdly?

– Probably for reasons which numerology can explain. Besides the spelling, adding the English prefix ‘The’ before a purely Hindi word ‘Vvaan’ is also quite weird. 

Are the audience for cinema and OTT different?

– The audience for cinema and OTT overlap, but oftentimes, their yardsticks are different for judging films on the two platforms. In cinemas, they are far more discerning than while watching films at home on OTT platforms. In other words, a film which may not have worked had it released in cinemas could be appreciated if released directly on OTT.

Although some films have been performing very well at the box-office in recent times, there is still a feeling of insecurity among stars, filmmakers, writers and producers. Can you explain this phenomenon?

– The insecurity is because several of the films which are scoring at the turnstiles are not films in the regular ‘commercial’ mould, as the trade understands. That is to say, nobody expected those films to work at the box-office. Since those films do not fit into any set formula, the industry people are feeling scared and insecure because they can’t predict a success before release. The feeling of security comes when films with huge expectations click, and those which are not expected to do well, actually flop. But the trade had better get used to this new pattern because this may now become the norm. The usual kind of entertainers may not always work at the ticket-windows whereas the unusual stuff may increasingly work wonders.          

What kind of opening day do you expect Drishyam: The Conclusion to have?

– The release date (2nd October) is still two complete weeks away. It would be futile to hazard a guess today as the craze for the third and last instalment of DRISHYAM is only expected to grow with each passing day. Since 2nd October is a national holiday on account of Gandhi Jayanti, and also because DRISHYAM is a huge brand, you can surely expect a bumper initial for DRISHYAM: THE CONCLUSION. As of today, I’d say, at least Rs. 40 crore!

Kunal Kemmu’s first directorial venture, Madgaon Express, had done fair business. But his second film, Vibe, could not even open to average houses today. Just why?

– MADGAON EXPRESS was not a hit that VIBE should’ve opened to good houses. The title VIBE is not the one which could’ve brought the Hindi film-going audience to the cinemas in the first show. How many people who don’t speak English even understand the meaning of the word? Besides, unless you are a top ‘A’-list hero, you cannot expect your previous film’s box-office performance to help your new film’s opening, generally speaking!

Any reason for the below-the-mark opening of Haiwaan today?

– The publicity was not up to the mark. Also, the public realised that Akshay Kumar does not have a full-length role in the film.      

To what do you give credit for the stupendous success of Hanuman Ansh?

– To two Cs: the Content which took two weeks for the public to appreciate. And to the distribution team of Cinepolis for treating the film with so much love and care.

What is the real reason for Akshaye Khanna not being a part of Drishyam: The Conclusion?

– There are several reasons, actually. He wanted a big increase in his fees. He also did not want to be seen with a bald pate, which was his look in DRISHYAM 2. Thirdly, he probably did not want to be seen as a loser in the climax, more so, after the runaway success of DHURANDHAR.   

Is the terrific opening of Mirzapur The Movie today because of the Janmashtami holiday or due to some other reason?

– The bumper opening of MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE is because of the Janmashtami holiday and also because of the immense popularity of the MIRZAPUR web series. The world and characters of the film and the web series are the same.      

What has led to the immense success of Hanuman Ansh?

– Mouth publicity! The film fared poorly in the first two weeks. Collections picked up from the third week onwards. The film is now doing extraordinary business not just where Neeb Karori Baba, on whose story the film is based, is popular but also in other parts of the country where he is not as well-known.

I have access to unlimited funds for producing films. All I need are some good scripts. Can you help me contact good writers who have great subjects? What should my modus operandi be?

– Your modus operandi should be to not let the world know that you are flush with funds. Otherwise, you will be surrounded by people who will promise to connect you with writers who have “great subjects”. The truth is that nobody knows what a “great subject” is. The greatness of a subject is often out only when a film clicks at the box-office, because there is no objective way of assessing the value or worth of a script. The day you understand how to assess a “great script”, do let me know.  

Like Victory cinema of Bangalore has decided to remit cent per cent collections of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups to the producers without retaining its share, has any cinema done so in the past? In other words, has any cinema, before Victory, screened a film on zero terms?

– Yes, Phoenix Cinemas in Veraval (Gujarat) screened Rohit Shetty’s SOORYAVANSHI in 2021 on zero terms. This was done in appreciation of the film’s producers not having succumbed to pressure and releasing the film on OTT during the COVID-19 lockdown but rather waiting for the cinemas to reopen. Of course, the film’s producers and distributors, Reliance Entertainment, reciprocated and forced the cinema to take its share of collections.      

Given the first day’s bumper opening and the second day’s drop in collections, where do you see the Hindi dubbed version of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups landing?

– Not very far. The film will entail losses for sure!

Will the experiment of Mirzapur The Movie work? If it does, will more web series be converted into films with new stories shot as films?

– Even if the experiment works, it may not necessarily start off a trend of web series being reshot as films with story extensions.